A Modern Man

My host dad, Amedou, is a modern man. He does many things differently from other men, whether in village or in other countries. My french skills are still very limited but from our conversations and my observations here is what I learned.

HE HAS ONE WIFE
Most Burkinabè men have at least two or three wives but Amedou only has one, Azeta, who he refers to as Madame. Azeta has given him seven children ranging from 14 mos to 17 yo. He has an 8 yo daughter who Azeta has raised as her own. Either Nafis mother was not okay or Azeta said Amedous stepping out was not okay , here is where knowing French better would come in handy.

HE RESPECTS WOMEN
Yes he has one wife but there are people who have one woman who they dont respect. Amedou treats women as his equal. There are gender roles that exist, the same that can often be found in the states- women performing domestic work and men taking care of financial concerns, but his actions speak in volume. Amedou tells Azeta almost everything we discuss, educating her as he learns. She only speaks Moorè- pronounced Mooray- and he speaks French, Moorè, and a teeny tiny bit of English. He still never leaves her out. He also has sent his two eldest dqaughters to high school in the city. Most men would not send/pay for their daughters to attend school past primary education but he does.

HE IS A DOMESTIC MAN
Since my first night in Sissamba, Amedou has showed me how to cook. Each night, we set up chairs and ¨a charcoal grill¨ in the courtyard and he gives me cooking instructions. Usually we are surrounded by at least 12 kids who find everything I do (as a foreigner) fascinating. He tells me when to add salt, oil, water, how to cut the different veggies, etc. I soon learned that no one else in Peace Corps was cooking their own food, their mothers would make it and give it to them. He also taught me how to sweep the courtyard and had my sister teach me how to wash clothes (basic things are done differently here). Other trainees have these things done for them and done by women. The other night I got really sick (probably from my cooking- hehe). Amedou came to check on me and sat outside my room until the morning sacrificing good sleep to make sure I was okay.

HE IS EDUCATED
He knows French and Moorè (French is the language taught in school). In the early 80s, he worked with the diplomat and lived in Mali, Cote d' Ivore and Ghana. (He learned the little English he knows while in Ghana). He also used to teach Moorè. He is very patient with me and my French. Every night while cooking and under the watchful eyes of the neightborhood kids (my host counsins), we manage to have a conversation. We have discussed his experiences, Burkina Faso, America, the economy, etc.

HE IS A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST
Most people, whether in Burkina Faso or anywhere else in the world, are only thinking about their family and themselves. Amedou makes presentations to womens groups, school children, and members of the community about the prevention of AIDS and Malaria. This is a volunteer position. It is one of the most affective methods to distributing health information. They are actually the types of presentations I will be making with Peace Corps.

See, my host dad is a modern man